Harvey Weinstein sex crimes retrial set to open in New York

New York, New York - The retrial of Harvey Weinstein, whose prosecution and for rape and sex assault ignited the "MeToo" movement, kicks off in New York on Tuesday.

The retrial of Harvey Weinstein, whose prosecution and conviction for rape and sex assault ignited the "MeToo" movement, kicks off in New York on Tuesday. © POOL / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

The disgraced movie mogul's 2017 conviction by a jury was by an appeals court that ruled the way witnesses were handled in the original trial was unlawful.

The voiding of the jury's verdict by the New York Court of Appeals was a setback to the movement against sexual violence and the promotion of justice for survivors.

Former Miramax studio boss Weinstein will be in the dock for the of former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006, the rape of aspiring actor in 2013, and a new count for an alleged sexual assault in 2006 at a hotel in Manhattan.

The trial, expected to last up to six weeks in a Manhattan criminal court, begins Tuesday with jury selection, which could take five days, according to Judge Curtis Farber.

Weinstein (73) hopes the case will be more than seven years after investigations by the New York Times and the New Yorker led to his spectacular downfall and a global backlash against predatory abusers.

Weinstein is serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted on separate in 2023 for raping and assaulting a European actor a decade prior.

NEW: Harvey Weinstein, who has been awaiting a mid-November retrial on two sex crime counts, was just arraigned on one more. He pled not guilty. pic.twitter.com/U2jcIJHSC8

— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) September 18, 2024

Harvey Weinstein faces accusations of rape and sexual assault Harvey Weinstein has appeared frail and gaunt at recent courtroom hearings ahead of the trial. © Collage: Evan Agostini / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP & Curtis Means / POOL / AFP

The producer of a string of box office hits like Sex, Lies and Videotape, Pulp Fiction, and Shakespeare in Love, Weinstein has at recent courtroom hearings ahead of the trial.

"It'll be very, very different because of the attitude of New York City, New York State and, I think, the overall country," said his lawyer Arthur Aidala.

"Five years ago, when you guys were here, there were protests. There were people chanting: 'Fry Harvey, he's a rapist'... I think that, overall, has died down," he said, adding that he hoped jurors would try the case on its merits.

Weinstein has never acknowledged any wrongdoing and has always maintained that the encounters were consensual.

Accusers describe the movie mogul as a predator who used his perch atop the cinema industry to pressure actors and assistants for sexual favors, often in hotel rooms.

Since his downfall, Weinstein has been accused of harassment, sexual assault or rape by more than 80 women, including actors , Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd.

In 2020, a jury of New Yorkers found Weinstein guilty of two out of five charges – the sexual assault of Mimi Haleyi and the rape of Jessica Mann.

But the conviction and the 23-year prison sentence were .

In a hotly debated four-to-three decision, New York's appeals court ruled that jurors should not have heard testimonies of victims about sexual assaults for which Harvey Weinstein was not indicted.

"It really reflects the challenges that survivors face in seeking justice for sexual assault," said Laura Palumbo of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

#HarveyWeinstein begged a judge this morning to move up his April trial, citing poor conditions at Rikers.

“I can’t hold on anymore, I’m holding because I want justice for myself and I want this to be over,” he said. “So I can get out of this hell hole as quickly as possible.”

— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) January 29, 2025

The three survivors of Weinstein's alleged crimes are once again.